First Date with a Vampire
by BleedMyHeartDry
Summary: Our beloved Isabella and Edward go on their first real date since the tragedy of Bella's near death experience. Their love is still strong and unbreakable and Edward is still a hopeless romantic.
1. Chapter 1

**Scene-Very First Date**

The car ride was silent. Edward's eyes fixed on the road ahead. The engine, at last, fell to a constant speed. I was afraid to look at the speedometer because I knew I might scream and attempt to take the wheel. Edward's eyes were sharp, extraordinarily gifted, but I doubted that even vampire eyes could travel at over a hundred miles per hour. So I looked at him instead of out the window, terrified I might see my life flash before my eyes.

"So," I began to say, calmer than I probably should've been under the circumstances, but his presence was soothing. "We're a couple now?"

"Yup." He replied.

"And this is our first date?" I asked, fidgeting with my dress, casual but not too laid back. My heart beat wildly and I was more than positive he could hear it because his muscles tensed and his posture stiffened.

"Bella, are you scared?" He asked with a grin and looking at me for a brief second before turning his eyes back to the road.

"Absolutely not!" I shouted a little too loudly, even surprising myself as well as Edward. He chuckled and my cheeks lit and my face felt hot. The car fell silent once again, and despite my will, I looked outside the window.

I knew that it was night, but the darkness pressing my eyes exceeded my expectations. There was no moon that was visible and something told me it was hidden behind the cloud cover that seems to haunt the little town of Forks endlessly. I trembled as it dawned upon me that I may rarely ever see sunlight again in this town, just days of raining and the annoyingly popular moss that hung from every tree. I could hear Edward sigh and I looked at him surreptitiously. He was smiling an unnerving smile.

"Where are you taking me?" I spoke my thoughts and his smiled disappeared.

"It's a surprise. The whole purpose of this is to surprise you! And if you think I'm going to slip up and tell you, you've gone senile…I can't wait to see your face." His eyes locked in mine for a brief second and I resisted shuddering again. They were so agonizingly stunning.

"Which face? This one?" I mocked an amazed expression and accentuated it with a gasp. His sweet laugh filled the car, and even when he stopped, I could still hear it echoing in my mind.

"Still…I'm not going to spoil it. Just know that you're going to love it." He patted my knee reassuringly before placing it back on the stick shift. Rain softly pattered against the roof of the silver corvette, which I assume, is another one of Carlisle's collection piece cars, used on special occasions.

"Did I overdress? Or am I underdressed because if I am, it's not too late to turn back and- "

"No. You look beautiful, more than beautiful and I've already told you that about five times this evening. Now when are you going to start believing me, Bella? You look perfect. Delicious almost." His pearly white teeth glistened at me and I simply stared at them in demoralizing shock.

"I'm not scared, you know. You don't scare me. I know you wish I would just admit it so that you'd be within your right to take me home and be rid of me, but I'm not so easy to scare off." I lied through my teeth. My heart hammered against my ribs and dropped to the pit of my stomach. Tears burned in the back of my eyes and I tried to fight them back, but they poured in spite of my efforts. I thought to myself _where the hell did this come from?_

In a split second, he jerked the car to the side of the road, slamming on the breaks, slicing through a giant puddle that drenched the entire right side.

When the car stopped completely, he turned to me. His eyes were narrowed and slowly turning a malicious black. His biceps flexed involuntarily and his jaw clenched. He looked at me long and hard. And sure as I was that I was still alive, I was positive that tears were still betraying me.

And then he started laughing. Laughing as if someone had just told him the funniest joke in the world. My face burned with anger. My nose flared habitually. Tears surged down faster so that blinking tears away was useless and I had to wipe my tears with my fingers.

"Stop it!" I begged quietly but desperately. "I was being serious!"

His laughing died down leisurely but there was an obvious effort. When his eyes locked with mine again, they were their warm, soft, honey amber. His features were relaxed from the laughter and a remaining smile still played on his lips.

"I'm sorry." He said, taking my hands into his own, however cold they were. "Really, I am…but I never meant to make you think that way. You see, you have something right in that twisted story of yours. A part of me does wish that I could simply turn this car around, drop you off at your house safely, and never see you again."

My heart felt so heavy and my tears fell harder. His hands began to feel as warm as my own, yet as his words played out, my body rejected heat. He paused, glaring at me through the dark with such sympathy. My mind told my hand to withdraw from beneath his, but for some reason I couldn't. He started again.

"But Bella, I can't do it. I wish I could for the sole purpose of your safety because you mean everything to me, and the last thing I could ever stand is to see you hurt. And I'm so torn inside that I can't make myself do what's best for you because I'm so utterly, and frightfully absorbed by you. Out of all these miserable and cold years I've walked this earth, out of all the beautiful women I've seen…" he squeezed my hand and my heart froze at the cruelty of the last words he left me clinging to, "you're the only one that keeps me so alive. I'm warmer than I've ever been when I'm around you.

"And now these feelings…I've spent so long in my supernatural superiority that I've completely forgotten about being human. You remind me how I was and I'm so lively again. Don't you see, Bella? I love you so much that I can't let you go. And I'm more than scared that if I was able to let you go and never see you once more, I may never feel this way again."

His thumb brushed over my cheek, wiping one of the last few remaining tears. My jaw dropped and I sat silently, listening to his confessions pour out.

"I love you, Bella. And I'm more than aware that this is our very first date, but I couldn't bare letting you go tonight and fall asleep without knowing that I have to be on my guard around you. I'd hate myself for eternity if by God forbid I lose control and something happened to you. It's been so long since I've felt this way about anyone, and it doesn't help that you're so beautiful, that at any second I could become so entranced with you, that I'd forget just what it is that I'm protecting you from. So, Bella, in all honesty, I do terribly wish I had the courage to drive you home, leave you at your doorstep, and never see you again. But it's just too late for that. I'm too selfish.

"Tell me if you're feeling scared and I'll do anything to help. But you can never forget just how hard it is for me to simply look at such a attractive person as yourself and not want to taste the essence that makes you. My bloodlust is never-ending, Bella. I can't make it stop or guarantee your safety anymore. You smell so sweet every time you move and stir the air. Even at this moment, I can sense the rushing of blood in your veins and I could count the beats of your heart per second. You act so ashamed to be afraid, but you _should _be.

"I know that I can't scare you away. I've tried. You're just too stubborn to be with me, as I am with you. Yet I can't help but find it so funny that I'm quite possibly the only one here who is afraid for _your _safety, regardless of my own."

Five minutes passed as I fought to form real words. I felt so unbelievably stupid, forgetting to consider that he was a vampire and had more on his mind than this date. He fought himself to resist, though secretly, I craved to be just like him. I yearned for the strength he hoisted himself so gracefully with, yearned for the startling eyes comparable to a punch to the head, knocking any capability for human speech out of me. I longed to be by his side forever, regardless of any repercussion I had to suffer for. But I had to be strong for him, no longer for myself. Couldn't let my emotions get the better of me, or show him that I was weak when he's been so strong to protect me.

He smiled his best smile and kissed my hand charmingly. Next, he turned the keys in the ignition and the car roared to life. Feathering the accelerator and slowly releasing the clutch, we started through the empty road, cutting through the night like a knife. Edward's need for speed literally took my breath away as I pushed against the seat by a heavy force that hardly seemed to affect him.

The rain still drizzled outside. Soon enough we reached the same astonishing speed that would warrant any policeman to test him for driving under the influence. Yet he stayed perfectly within the right side of the road, pushing faster and faster. I still peered at him at a loss for words. I stuttered gibberish.

"'Thank you' might work." He said in response to my speechlessness. "Or you could do us both the tremendous favor and beg me to take you home. Then again, you could also ask me once again the classic question 'Do I look alright?' and I'll still give you the same reply." He talked on and on but those words felt meaningless because his whole speech kept replaying in my head. Three words in particular were the broken record that continued to spin my head in circles.

Finally, and surprisingly to my dismay, civilization came into view. And five more minutes passed until we pulled into a parking lot and he requested I close my eyes, so I did.

"Where are we?" I asked, trying to peek through a small opening in my eyelids.

"Ah! She speaks!" The words sounded so similar to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. "For a moment or five, you had me thinking you died on me! What a terrible tragedy that would be!" And I so believed those words. He laughed and I smiled, and with his thumbs he completely closed my eyelids so that all I could see was black.

He opened my door and picked me up as if I weighed the equivalent to a backpack. He placed my feet down on the ground and made sure I was able to stand on my own before letting me go, though I was pretty sure that I was still capable of tripping. Then, he told me to open my eyes and I obeyed.

I saw bright lights that haloed an extremely fancy restaurant and a gentlemen parking Edward's car. My jaw dropped and my eyes popped.

"Ta-da!" He exclaimed with so much joy, like a child in a candy store, and for a second I thought he was going to start spinning around in circles. "Dinner and a movie!" He grimaced. "Whoever says I can't be normal was wrong!" He laughed.

I tried to hide my expression but it was too late as he glimpsed at me.

"You lied!" I growled. "I'm not properly dressed for this!"

He boomed with laughter and shook the air around us. My heart skipped a beat. The light rain drizzled over my hair, making it all the frizzier. He held me close and whispered, "You're beautiful", and started to drag me toward the regal restaurant.

"Wait!" I panicked.

"What?" His smiled collapsed. "You don't like it?"

"No, that's not it. Not at all. It's beautiful and I love it!" My eyes began to water, and then I smiled as bright as I could. I placed his hand over my heart, though he became immediately rigid with apprehension and hesitation, and I whispered, "And I love you too. Thank you so much for everything."

His smile returned, spreading from ear to ear. My heart melted like the first time I ever laid eyes on him. My heart fluttered deafeningly and rushing blood kept me warm in the cold. And right there, before the gorgeous restaurant, he softly wrapped one arm around my waist and pressed his lips against my own, stopping my heart. My lungs felt empty and starving for air. But it was beautiful, both the kiss and the look in his eyes as he led me closer to the entrance. For a while, I could swear I glowed as bright as the lights that swallowed the restaurant. Quite possibly even brighter.

He said one last time as we stepped in the restaurant, "you're so beautiful" and I finally believed him.


	2. Chapter 2

"No secret table?" I asked, trying not to sound too hurt.

"No need." He sighed contently. "There are enough people talking. The chance of being heard is slim. Besides, " he subtly tapped his forehead and flashed a knowing smile. "I'll know if someone tunes in."

A sudden wave of security swept over me. I was surprised how comfortable I felt, especially since every female within a five mile radius was staring daggers at me. Their eyes scorched my body. Even without Edward's superfluous talent of eavesdropping, it was strangely apparent that murder was on their minds. I was swimming in their jealousy and loving every minute of it. Then, a thought stabbed at me.

"Is Jasper here?" I blurted out clumsily. Edward's eyes narrowed curiously at me and my heart skipped a beat.

"No." He blinked. "Why?"

I took a drink from my glass of water, while his remained untouched. He seemed to be patient, simply waiting for me to explain. I cleared my throat.

"People are staring at us." I stated, diverting the attention away from my stupidity, hoping he wouldn't pursue it.

"Let them." Dang it. He shrugged, looking more like a God than anyone has the right to. "Don't be so evasive, Bella. Why would you ask that? …Do you think that I would really bring him along on 'our' date without telling you?" He feigned a hurt expression.

I tried to look away from his gaze, though I knew very well there was no escape.

"No." I sighed, realizing he wasn't going to drop it. "I just…felt excited." The words came out in a blur. His eyebrow lowered seductively. I took another drink of water. My throat felt so dry.

"Excited?" He smirked. "And you think Jasper did something to influence that?"

I nodded. My gaze fell to the tablecloth insecurely, studying the design without much attention. I suppose if someone were to ask me to describe it two seconds later, I would've just said it was white with vine-like swirls.

"And I don't make you excited?"

I cringed at the direction this was going. My hair stood on end. Suddenly, I felt like I was about to fall out of my seat. I looked down and saw that I was on the edge. Doubtlessly trying to be as close to Edward as the seat would allow.

I heard an intricate smile curl on Edward's lips. I glanced up to see glimmering white teeth staring me down. I shivered, and then looked back down, hoping he couldn't tell what his smile did to me. I froze. I recognized that smile, just like I could label each smile. He knew something he wasn't sharing. My embarrassment flooded away and I compulsively squeezed the napkin in my hand, my nails biting into my palm.

"What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing."

"You know," I said acidly, "it's not healthy to lie so much." His face lit up in amusement.

"Well, I'll admit it was my fault, not Jasper's." He smiled and I listened to his glorious voice. "Living with Jasper, I've picked up a few…_tricks_." There was a devilish edge in his voice. I continued drinking what was left. However, the slurping informed me I was getting dangerously low on water. Without saying a word, Edward passed me his glass and continued.

"It's not easy. In fact, it's actually extremely complicated. I'll never perfect it the way he has. I was just sort of testing it and apparently it works." The adorable crease in the outward edge of his eyes momentarily distracted me. His moving eyes caught mine. I gulped nervously.

Suddenly, my body contracted and my first instinct was to run. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and my breathing became deep. A slight pang of fear stabbed at me, then slowly, faded. I glowered at Edward. He grinned.

"You're evil." I scowled, trying without much success to slow down my heightened pulse. The best thing I could do was breath slow, deep breathes. But it didn't take long for Edward's eyes to destroy my concentration. He wasn't smiling anymore. I felt guilty.

"Sorry…" I breathed quietly. He shook his head and forced a smile.

"Don't be. None of this is your fault."

I gulped. To avoid the silence, I slurped more of my water loudly.

"What are you thinking?" He asked, his eyes intense with curiosity.

"You don't want to know." I said without thought, carefully avoiding his eyes, though they were invitingly soft, a black surrounded with warm brown irises.

"Obviously I do if I'm asking." He pointed out. I sighed and sat motionless for a moment, planning out what I was going to say.

"What's going to happen between us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm just wondering. It's almost senior year and I don't have much of a clue what I want to do with my life. I have no real goals, plans, or career options I'm set on pursuing and my only interest in school is you." He flinched, but opened his eyes and probed mine to continue. "Who knows how many times you've been a senior in high school, how many times they've asked to you to think about what you want to do with your life, or lack thereof, but as far as I'm concerned, you're the only thing I want.

"I already have you, at least for now. I'm not afraid of dying, Edward." I hinted and his face fell. I couldn't see what his expression was, but knowing him, it was probably anger, disappointment, pain, or a combination of the three. It was obvious I was treading on thin ice. Heck, not just treading, jumping on breaking ice.

He said nothing. For what felt like forever, he kept his head bowed, eyebrows furrowed, and face tight. I started to trace my fingers over the vine-like swirls in the linen tablecloth, though that was not where my heart was.

The waitress brought out our meal in the midst of the silence. I bet even she could feel the intense heat radiating from the angry Edward. He may look like a God, but he has the temper of a devil. I guess that's one reason why I was attracted to him. There was no telling what he would do next and the mystery sustained me, drew me to him even more if it was possible.

"Bella, why do you do this to me?" Edward groaned darkly after the waitress left. His voice surprised me, brimming with so much pain. Tears sprang to my eyes, more out of habit than anything else. The words were so strong, hitting home. My heart beat irregularly.

"Because," I muttered, "this is what I want."

Shocking coal eyes appeared behind his ultra-white eyelids. There was a sharp intake of breath. I recognized it as my own.

"We've already established that you have a death wish, Bella. But this is no way to go about it. You haven't the faintest idea of what you're asking for, and I haven't the heart to condemn you to _this_." His voice was bitterly icy.

"You're not condemning me if I'm asking for it." I pointed out with hope. He shook his head.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're acting like it's a gift to be passed around at will, but it's more than that."

"Do you really resent it that much?" I asked sympathetically, noting the pain he was in. Might as well as be squirming on the floor.

"I didn't really have much of a choice, remember? I was on my deathbed as it was and Carlisle was trying to do his duty as a doctor to preserve this life, though for nearly 200 years I might as well have been dead. There's no warmth, no satisfaction, no peace in death. There's nothing that can completely satiate the thirst." He whispered low enough so that only I could hear.

"Not to mention," he sighed, sitting back in his seat, "Carlisle would never approve."

"No one has to know." I blushed furiously. I even shocked myself with my own stupidity sometimes. Yet, the only seemingly good satisfaction I got out of my ignorance was that it was amusing to Edward. He laughed softly under his breath. I was relieved to see a smile on his face again.

"You underestimate Alice. She'd know far before it was ever even considered. Come to think about it, she mentioned something earlier about not losing my temper with you. She wouldn't tell me why and it drove me insanely irate, but I suppose it was all for the best. And do you really think you can get away convincing Charlie that you're an old woman when you still look the same way as you do now? What about your mother? You're not ready to leave them yet."

As much as I hated that he said it, it was true. At heart, I still couldn't wait to see my mom again. Forks may have chased away any dreams, my sanity, and maybe eventually my mortality, but it could never completely make me forget about how much I loved Charlie and my mom, though it was often left unspoken.

I bit my lip in annoyance. He was too stubborn. I sighed in defeat. There was no convincing him. Even as I was at the brink of death before, vampire poison in my veins, he wouldn't let me go. A pang of pain pierced my heart. He would rather me die than live forever with me. So, the argument of dying from old age was out of the question.

It felt like forever that we sat in silence playing a game of My-Eyes-Can-Beat-Yours. I leaned in on the table and he did the same. I tried to look angry but Edward just laughed at my effort. Apparently, there's nothing bone chilling about wrinkled noses, pursed lips, or squinting eyes. Edward looked nothing short of mesmerizing.

His eyes caught mine. It was inescapably obvious he wouldn't let me go. It was as if his eyes clamped on my mind and tightened, suffocating me clear from coherent thoughts. I couldn't help but smile as he looked at me so menacingly. I drew a breath before my mind went blank. He could've used a stun gun and gotten more reaction out of me. I was frozen in shock.

Everything came back as he blinked and his eyes relapsed. I noticed he was smiling, too.

"That's unfair!" I playfully scolded, picking up a fork and stabbing the meat that sat in front of me. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what it was. When the waitress took my order, I briefly scanned over the menu so as not to waste too much time and pointed at random at something on the list. Edward chuckled as I began to bring the fork to my lips.

In the blink of an eye, his chalky hand softly pressured my hand downward. My mouth awkwardly dropped as I stared curiously at him.

"You're using the wrong fork." He laughed. "That's your salad fork."

I sighed, and then closed my mouth. I plopped the salad fork back down and brandished the only other fork so he could see it.

"Better?" I asked irritably but with a smile. He nodded with a breathtaking glint in his eye.

Judging by the taste, the meat had to be chicken. I was in luck. If it had been fish, I doubt I could've restrained myself from throwing it across the room. I was annoyed with fish, having had it nearly ever night for dinner with Charlie.

"I'm curious…"I stated after swallowing. He looked at me with apprehension.

"That can't be good." He smirked.

"Very funny, Edward." I couldn't help but smile. He shrugged and I sat against the seat, dropping my fork. "Everyone of you has a talent. Jasper can influence emotions, Alice can predict the future, Emmett has incredible strength, and you can read minds." He gave a slight nod to show he was listening. "What's Rosalie's gift?"

I hated bringing her up. Whenever I visited the Cullen's house, she grazed me with her eyes and stalked away. I never worried about her intentions though as long as Edward was able to read minds. Yet, I couldn't help but remember her reluctance to smuggle me away from James's murderous glare. I shuddered at the thought of those eyes, that careless saunter, the cruel intentions. Flashbacks crammed in my head. It was Edward's voice that brought me back.

"She's very unique." He beamed. "In her previous life, she used to work with healing herbs. When she was changed, her interest in medicine became stronger, a part of her. For a while, no one knew what she could do. She mostly just kept to herself; though, when I read her mind, I couldn't help but be amazed.

"Not only is she beautiful beyond belief, Rosalie is brilliant Give her thirty seconds or less in the woods and she'll bring back every type of healing plant available. She's a very resourceful young lady, too. And when she found Emmett that day…by God he was better off dead." He said the last part with a muffled scoff.

"He was trying to hunt a grizzly, but to his misfortune, it got the better of him. Mauled him to bits, actually. Gruesome story. And Rosalie was in the woods gathering new plant species for her collection when," he allowed a foreboding silence for me to guess, and then he winked at me subtly. "She smelled him."

"She did what she could to save him, even brought him back to the house for Carlisle's professional opinion. Carlisle couldn't bring any relief to Emmett. In fact, we were all amazed that he was even still alive, doubtlessly because of Rosalie. I've never seen Rosalie cry before that point. She was choking on sobs and, reading her thoughts, I understood even before she did that she loved him. He smells the same to her the way you smell to me."

I thought about that. Rosalie seemed to me like a strong woman, someone who never cries. You could throw a rock at her head, and she'd throw it right back. Of course, no one would have the nerve to throw a rock at her in the first place, unless they were blind to her beauty.

"I don't know how she did it-change him the way she did, but she had the strength. I admire her very much for it. To be completely honest, I don't know how I stopped myself from draining you dry when I had the chance. It was sweeter than I imagined, but I guess, somewhere in the back of my mind, I selfishly reminded myself that it would never last-the taste."

I glanced down at my plate. It appeared unappetizing anymore. Furthermore, it was cold. And cold food would not do.

"Poor Rosalie." I sympathized.

Edward breathed, "Poor Emmett."

I looked up quickly, nearly popping my neck. I smiled wildly. I filtered my words carefully.

"What do you think my talent would be?"

Edward's head snapped up in reply, catching my eyes quickly. Without taking his eyes off of me, he called to the waitress, "Check, please!"

The waitress, already right behind him, serving the table of an elderly couple near us, came rushing to our side. It appeared that she was anxious to attend to us, dwell by Edward for as long as possible. He had read her thoughts.

I noted the horror on his face. He had clearly asked himself the same question before, and more evidently, came up with an answer. Once again, I was relieved he couldn't read my thoughts. Secretly, I designed a plan to find out what frightened him so much.

Twiddling with my thumbs in circles, I questioned myself. Which of my personality traits frightened him? Could it be my sarcasm? I couldn't help but squeak in laughter. Edward looked at me strangely, trying to guess what I was thinking, no doubt. I stuck my tongue out immaturely. My relief turned to pride.

The waitress scurried off to get the receipt. I couldn't shake off the feeling that the restaurant was staring at us again. Most likely, they were staring at him. In this lighting, he seemed to radiate. Light bounced off of his figure, tossing an illusion of overpowering beauty. How could he not draw attention?

"They're staring again." I said, shifting in my seat, this time becoming annoyed with their nosiness. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed our overly attentive waitress scrambling back. She was shuffling back too quickly. Someone backed up in the isle in front of her, and like me, her breaking system wasn't that great. She collided head on and I fought back laughter.

Edward never looked away from me. He ran his forefinger and middle finger casually over his luscious lips. I forgot how to breathe.

"Let them." He said. My heart lurched in my throat and my head did that funny spinning thingy that happens whenever he captures me. Then, to my immediate humiliation, came the gibberish.


	3. Chapter 3

For the rest of our date, Edward steered clear of any subject that would remind me about my last question. And for the most part, my mind strayed from questions involving our "future" together; yet when the silences hit, my mind seemed to recede into darker, forbidden areas of the past.

Edward paid for the dinner although I offered to pay for half. I looked back at my plate with guilt. I hadn't taken more than a few bites and the chicken appeared untouched. He never even bothered to order any food even though I knew why. Still, I couldn't convince him to let me pay.

Edward smiled brightly as I insisted on paying.

"Don't worry, Bella. It's all covered thanks to Esmé. And to be blunt, it was her idea to bring you here in the first place."

I made a mental note to slip her some money later, including a bonus for the generosity. I let the topic pass without much argument. He led me back to the car and gracefully opened the door for me. I felt the brisk breeze as the door shut and it ruffled my hair. In less than a second he was beside me, jamming the key into the ignition.

"You're going to be seen one of these days." I warned about his ability to virtually teleport. He shot me a look that practically laughed in itself.

"Not likely," He scoffed. "They'll either convince themselves that they were seeing things or they'll try to tell someone. But who will believe them?"-it was a rhetorical question I was just about to answer-"No one wants to be sent to an insane asylum." True enough…to an extent.

"I'm not too sure about that." He looked at me quickly and I could see he thought I was referring to myself. "Mike." I said as if that explained it all.

I could hear him smile and I love how my heart beat erratically and my gut writhed in knots.

"Where to now?" I asked, under the impression that the date was over and we were heading home, which wasn't entirely wrong.

"Your house." He sighed. "To watch the movie."

"Excuse me?" I stared at him incredulously, unable to comprehend the ghastly concept.

"Which part of that was unclear?"

"The whole thing. Try again." I prayed what I had heard was my overactive imagination at work, but to my dismay, he repeated it with more detail.

"We're going to your house to watch a movie."

"Why?" The question was part scream.

"Well,..how long has it been since you've been to a theater?" He didn't pause long enough for me to answer. "Teenagers, Bella. Hormonal teenagers. Perhaps you forgot to consider my inability to completely ignore other people's thoughts, but either way, the last thing you need is to get any ideas."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" The tone in my voice was abnormally high, but I couldn't pretend to really be offended. I couldn't help but imagine sitting next to him through a movie. Girls would drool upon sight of him and naturally, I'd have to prove that he was mine. The thought of flaunting him was bitterly sweet.

"You know very well what I mean by that. Besides,…it would save me the torment of their perverted minds, Bella. And not to mention," He took my hand in his and the sudden coolness startled me, "Charlie told me to bring you home by eleven."

He seemed amused. I looked at the digital clock with bright green numbers and there was no suppressing the horror on my face. We had a little more than seven minutes and quite a distance to cover, which could only mean one thing.

He glared at me with a wicked grin, noticing that my gaze had trailed to the clock.

"You might want to close your eyes."

His voice was heavy with humor and sarcasm. I prepared myself for the dizzying nausea that would hit like it did the first time I traveled through the forest with Edward. There was no avoiding it.

I clamped my eyes shut and heard him change into the last gear and the lead weight of his foot slamming on the accelerator. The motor roared in protest then gradually got louder, filling the car with its sound. In my head, I pictured the needle on the speedometer falling into the hundreds. Even more frightening, I imagined crashing at this speed.

I forced breath in and out of my lungs, though the speed seemed to steal it right back from me. Louder than anything, I could hear Edward booming with laughter. I peeked a look at him to see his eyes on me. Apparently, I was the source of his amusement.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" I screamed. This only made him laugh harder.

Reluctantly, he turned his attention back to the road. A few minutes passed. I felt extremely uncomfortable in my breathlessness. My heart pounded in my ears and my body was overly stiff.

Finally, the motor quieted down and air was available again. I sucked it up happily and exhaled.

"You can open your eyes now. We're here." Edward laughed as the car came to a smooth glide in the driveway. I hadn't even realized how tight I had shut my eyes. Even my eyes seemed elated by the air that fazed them.

"Remind me why we're doing this." My voice sounded strange even to myself.

"Because you earned yourself a curfew."

"Right." I sighed. Up until this point, the curfew Charlie established never really affected me. I found ways around it by morning and night was never an issue because Edward miraculously appeared in my room without an invitation, but expected.

"I don't think Charlie's going to like the idea."

"He's already given me permission." How could I forget? Charlie and Edward were nearly inseparable. Their numbers were on speed-dial on each other's cell phone and I refused to believe it was for safety purposes.

Being the gentleman he is, Edward lightly pulled the door open for me to step out. My lungs were still a bit sore but my legs were eager to stand on solid ground. Yet again, the darkness of night was thick. Edward was nothing more than a silhouette, a shadow just a shade darker than the surrounding black; nonetheless, he was still as beautiful as a dark angel. It struck me as strange how he just kept getting more and more beautiful in my eyes.

His arm laced around my waist and gently pushed me closer to his chest. The movement was so sudden I hadn't known what to expect, so my arms hung loosely by my sides like useless weights. My body was still stiff, but the cool touch of his skin against mine softened my toughened features. Once again, I had to remind myself how to breath as his hand pulled me impossibly closer. I could feel his well-toned, rock hard, washboard abs pressing the cushion of my stomach. My breasts were humiliatingly squished. My cheeks filled with warmth.

It didn't take long until his head was lowered to my throat, which I had recently discovered as his favorite part of my body. His eyes were always conscious of every moment my neck made until the attraction silently drives him mad. But he'll never admit it, never admit a weakness as long as there's something to work on.

Everything about him was soft-everything from his eyes to his kisses. For a second, he just nuzzled my neck, defying temptation and just breathing in the scent of my neck. Guessing, I would assume his eyes were flickering between the cozy brown into onyx gems.

He dropped sweet angel kisses on my jaw line and my kneecaps threatened to collapse. But he was holding me up and propping my body up against his. His breath was cool as always. But then he did something new.

His kisses were harder, pressing into my skin. As he paused to inhale one more time, his lips spread to receive a wider range of exposed skin. And beneath it, the blood that rushed through my veins. I could feel the sharp point of his fangs prickle the skin at the touch, but not breaking it. It was erotic, exhilarating and I, unknowingly, clung to him tighter, allowing my warmth to leave me, the icy coolness of his beautiful corpse to subdue me.

I wondered if he was in control of the situation because I as sure as hell had lost it. Then, I realized that I was never in control to begin with. My life rested solely on him and his decisions. At the moment, I'd bet everything that he could feel the strong force with which my heart rattled my rib cage and he could hear it. And my heart was the part of me that was dying to be with him forever, craving the feel of his teeth over my skin.

I shivered slightly, my stomach contracting. He paused.

He must've realized what was happening, what my heart so desperately wanted because his teeth withdrew and hid behind the shelter of his lips. He shocked me with his abrupt closeness to my ear.

"It's time to go." He whispered, and then dragged me to the front door of my house, where I expected Charlie to be. I snapped out of the spell he put me under and my legs regained their strength.

"The things you make me do." I growled.

"Behave yourself!" Edward grimaced.

"Well if I'm not behaving properly, it's all your fault for dazzling me to begin with."

"And I suppose it's also my fault that you sleep talk, too."

Oh, how I could've slapped him for saying that but even the slap wouldn't have fazed him. It'd be like slapping stone. He wouldn't even react.

We reached the doorstep and the front door swung open. Charlie seemed to look beyond us and directly at Edward's car. He still couldn't believe their wealth. Finally, he acknowledged our presence.

"How fast were you going? I could hear your car nearly a mile away!" Charlie exclaimed. Knowing him, he was probably more proud to see a car such as that parked in front of his house than anything. Edward shook his head.

"The car is noisy and the town is quiet." He began to lie and to my immediate surprise, my father, the sheriff of the town, was persuaded by the obvious lie. "You know how it is." He finished, giving Charlie a friendly pat. Charlie nodded with a weak smile then opened the door wider to let us in.

Edward and I filed obediently into the living room with the T.V. The television was about as ancient as the computer in my room. Technology was never a big deal to Charlie or me, and the VCR that sat on top of the television was enough to testify.

"What movie did you want to watch?" Charlie asked as he came around me and walked past me to the small drawer of videos.

"If you don't mind, I brought one with me." Edward politely waited.

"Oh not at all." Charlie shut the drawer with a thud that made me jump. "What movie is it?"

"Gone with the Wind." He answered briskly. _Good_ I thought. _Make it short and painless why don't you._

"Perfect! That's Bella's favorite movie, ain't it, Bells?"

"Yup." I sighed with an uncomfortable smile as the attention fell on me. "My favorite."

Edward gave a subtle wink before Charlie turned back to look at him. There was an awkward silence that lasted for a few seconds but felt like an entire century. I kept my head bowed and my eyes focused on my toes as I rocked back on my heels.

"Well then," Charlie sighed, picking up on my agony. "I'll just be in my room…across the hall…with the door open…if you need anything."

There was an unmistakable distrust in his voice. He walked off without another word for his bedroom.

_Here we go_ I thought as if the real torture were just about to begin.


End file.
